Blog on 2040Parts

Glickenhaus may enter LMP1 class at Le Mans

James Glickenhaus, the man who brought you the Ferrari P4/5, is working on a new car to be used in top-level endurance racing such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, possibly as early as 2014. Recently, sketches of the car—currently called the P4/5 Competizione LMP—have made their way to the Internet. Glickenhaus made his money in the stock market and film industry, but he became a household name among car guys when he commissioned the one-of-one Ferrari P4/5 Pininfarina.

2013 Shelby Super Snake to debut at Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas auction

Shelby American is following up its 950- and 1,100-hp anniversary edition Super Snake models with something a little tamer for 2013. Two new versions of the Super Snake are now being offered, one with 662 hp and one with an upgraded supercharger and an output of 850 hp. And, for the first time, a wide-body kit for the pony car will be offered.

Jaguar F-Type photo leaks ahead of Paris motor show debut

We've seen galleries galore of Jaguar F-Type testers running around the western United States in camo. Thanks to a leaky European website, though, this first official photo of the production F-Type has hit the Internet. The image shows a trio of F-Types, all with S badging in the front grille; no word on which powerplant is beneath each of the curvaceous hoods, but we'll find out next week at the Paris auto show.

2014 Jaguar F-Type video teaser drops ahead of Paris motor show

Readers have spotted both V6- and V8-powered examples of the upcoming Jaguar F-Type hiding in plain sight in the western United States. Spy photos might not satisfy our craving for detailed specifications on the sleek roadster—we won't know much more until the car debuts at the 2012 Paris motor show—but they have convinced us that the new Jaguar will be pleasing to the eye. The above teaser video suggests that the F-Type will be as attractive in motion as it is in still photos.

BMW and Local Motors join forces for latest contest

BMW and Local Motors have come together to launch the Urban Driving Experience Challenge, which launches on 25 September. The contest challenges designers to create the premium vehicle features and functions that will shape the urban driving experience in 2025 and beyond. The Mega Cities of the future will offer a number a new challenges for the automotive industry, such as increasing urbanization, rapid population growth, changing infrastructures and environmental pollution.

Peugeot 2008 Concept

Peugeot will unveil its new 2008 Concept at next week's Paris motor show, developed by design teams in Paris, Shanghai and Sao Paolo. The automaker has confirmed that the 2008 will go into production; first in France, then China and then Brazil as a global product. It comes after Peugeot displayed its Urban Crossover concept at this year's Beijing auto show, which bears an uncanny resemblance to the 2008.  The 2008 concept, which measures 4,140mm long and 1,730mm wide, is painted matte fluorescent yellow with dark chrome surrounding the now-familar floating grille and the air inlets integrated into the fender.

Kia Carens

Kia's total range overhaul is now complete as the new Carens C-segment MPV joins the Korean manufacturer's brochures at the Paris motor show. Based on an all-new platform, the Carens offers the choice of five or seven seats, covering off other manufacturers' 'normal' and 'grand' models with one bodystyle. Design-wise it's most closely aligned to the latest C'eed, with similar, pulled-back lamp graphics and pouting grille.

Michelin Challenge Design 2013 finalists announced

The finalists of the 2013 Michelin Challenge Design global vehicle design competition have been announced with all 15 of the chosen entrants' work to be displayed at NAIAS 2013. This year's theme, 'HALF! Lightweight with Passion', asked participants to explore how design contributes to and impacts the ongoing effort to develop more efficienct vehicles, while keeping the emotional side of car design front of mind.

New Jaguar F-Type leaks out UPDATED

With the new Jaguar F-Type Roadster due to get its first outing at Paris 2012, we have the first photo leak. Update: Jaguar has released the above photo of the new Jaguar F-Type officially after this leaked photo. So now it’s official – this is the 2013 Jaguar F-Type.

2013 Honda Civic Ti Limited Edition

Honda has released a limited edition version of the latest Honda Civic – the Civic Ti – with sporty cosmetic tweaks. Honda wants us to think of the Civic Ti as a ‘Sporty’ Civic – despite no changes to the power or chassis – so they’ve bolted a set of ‘Le Mans’ Alloys from Team Dynamics on to the new Civic Ti – the same suppliers that give Honda wheels for their BTCC cars. As well as the alloys, the Civic Ti gets colour coded wheel arches, a leather steering wheel and gear knob and stuff from the Civic 1.8 litre i-VTEC SE on which it’s based including Climate, AUX and USB, steering wheel controls for audio and electric windows.

2013 Kia Carens heading for Paris 2012 debut

Kia has revealed the all new Kia Carens compact MPV with a modified cee’d platform and 5 and 7 seat options. Paris 2012 debut. Kia has taken the wraps off its stylish new Carens compact MPV ahead of its Paris world premiere and the biggest news for families is that the company will offer both five and seven-seat versions of the model.

Hyundai Veloster Turbo gets cheaper

Hyundai are set to launch an additional model of the Velsoter Turbo to sit below the Turbo SE for around £2 less. With the regular Hyundai Veloster starting at £18k and the Velsoter Turbo at £22k, Hyundai has worked out there’s a middle ground price point – can you guess what it is? So to fill that gap (yes, it’s a £20k entry point) Hyundai are to launch the bog-standard Veloster Turbo (without the SE badge) which will lose some of the equipment but, as far as we can see, keep the butch cosmetic bits on the exterior.

2013 Aston Martin DB9 – Virage Vanquished

Aston Martin has given the DB9 a makeover – a facelift and a bit more – for 2013 as the tweaked DB9 signals the end of the Virage. But all is not lost with the Virage, as the 2013 DB9 gets a Virage makeover – inside and out as well as more power from its V12 and the addition of Aston Martin’s adaptive damping. The 5.9 litre V12 engine under the new DB9′s bonnet now offers 510bhp and 442lb/ft of torque – more than the Virage managed to muster – and is much the same as the revised AM11 V12 we see in the new Vanquish but with a bit less power.

Volvo V40 Cross Country arrives

Volvo has revealed the 2013 V40 Cross Country, a new variant on the new V40, offering a more rugged option for the V40 range. We thought it was going to be the Volvo XC40 – denoting an SUV come crossover version of the new V40 – but Volvo has decided that their more rugged version of the V40 will take the Cross Country name - first used on the V70 in 1997 – and so we get the new Volvo V40 Cross Country. Following on from the new V40 R-Design, revealed last week, Volvo now offers a V40 they say is for ‘those who want a sense of adventure in their everyday life‘ – in other words, this is a slightly more rufty-tufty V40.

Kia Carens MPV (2012) first official pictures

Kia has taken its compact family wagon, the Carens back to the drawing board with the release of the all-new 2012 model, bringing it up-to-date with Kia’s current design direction.   The Carens is the last model in Kia’s line up to receive the ‘tiger nose’ facelift under the direction of chief designer Peter Schreyer, best known for designing the Mk 1 Audi TT.   The revised Carens takes on a sharper, more ‘athletic’ shape than the former chunkier model, offering a more practical, cab-forward take on the sportier looking new Ceed on which it is based.

2013 Aston Martin DB9 doubles down with vaunted V12

The 2013 Aston Martin DB9 is getting a power boost thanks to parts and pieces from under the hood of the upcoming Vanquish. The updated DB9 borrows some of the engine architecture and hardware from the Vanquish, enabling output from the 5.9-liter V12 to reach 510 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque. Those are considerable increases compared with today's car, which is rated at 470 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque.

2013 Mazda CX-9 debuts before Australian show

Mazda will fully reveal the 2013 CX-9 SUV at the Australian International motor show in October. It appears that Mazda couldn't wait that long, as the company just released a few images of the redesigned people carrier, which now looks like the big brother to the CX-5. It features the Kodo design language that we've seen at several auto shows, which lends it a sportier look than previous models.

Land Rover considers smaller SUV

Land Rover could add a luxury SUV below the compact-sized Range Rover Evoque, the brand's design director said. "Certainly, I think we can go smaller," Gerry McGovern told Automotive News Europe when asked about future plans for the premium Range Rover line. "In a world focusing on sustainability you could argue that smaller and lighter is the way to go." Range Rover is not the only brand considering a subcompact premium SUV.

McLaren P1: Instant reaction before the Paris motor show

McLaren has just zoomed to the front of the pack of reveals planned for the Paris motor show. This is easily one of the glitziest events on the car calendar, and European shows tend to bring out the best in concepts and style. But the P1 is the leader so far.

McLaren P1 concept

The McLaren P1 concept – the company's flagship hypercar model – will make its world debut at the Paris motor show next week ahead of the production model some time next year. These first images reveal an exterior that's more expressive in its surfacing and graphics than the existing MP4-12C, with a particular motif made of McLaren's 'tick' logo through the DRG. Its bodywork also appears to be layered over the underlying carbon structure that appears around the nose, rear and door panel, which hint at the diagonal bar that ran through the F1's doors, although here it dives downwards rather than creating a wedge.

Dacia Logan and Sandero [w/Galleries]

Dacia has released images of its new Logan sedan and the Sandero hatchback models ahead of their world debuts at next week's Paris motor show. The new Sandero and Logan feature design cues intended to give a more assertive look, in line with the hugely popular Duster. A larger grille with more prominent horizontal inserts feature on both models to emphasize the Dacia logo.

Jaguar Land Rover celebrate James Bond SKYFALL & 50 years of Bond films (video)

Jaguar Land Rover are celebrtaing 50 years of Bond films – and the new James Bond film SKYFALL – at this year’s Paris Motor Show. We reported last year that Jaguar Land Rover looked like they’d got some decent product placement in the latest James Bond film (SKYFALL – known then as ‘Bond 23′) and now, with Bond celebrating 50 years, the 2012 Paris Motor Show imminent and the Bond SKYFALL film about to hit cinemas, it’s time for some Jaguar Land Rover PR. We may think of Aston Martin when we think of Bond, but Jaguar has made sure they’ve got plenty of screen time in SKYFALL.

McLaren P1 – the new F1 / P12 arrives

The McLaren P1 – spiritual successor to the legendary McLaren F1 – has been revealed ahead of a public debut at Paris 2012. It’s been a long time coming, but the new McLaren P1 – the name for what we’ve thought of as the McLaren P12 or new F1 – has finally been unveiled. As expected, the new McLaren P1 has more dramatic styling than the MP4-12C with its aerodynamic parts matt black and the flowing contours of the dramatic body painted, with headlights offering a nod to McLaren’s logo and a roof scoop that’s reminiscent of the F1′s.

Koenigsegg to celebrate 100th car with special model

Koenigsegg, Swedish makers of stunning supercars, are planning a very special model to celebrate their 100th car. Christian Von Koenigsegg founded his eponymous supercar company back in 1994, but it took until 2002 for the first customer car to be delivered. That first car was the Koenigsegg CC8 (a development of Christian’s original CC prototype) which featured bespoke everything – from chassis to suspension and brakes – but utilised a Ford 4.7 litre V8.

2013 Dacia Sandero Revealed

The new 2013 Dacia Sandero 2 – a Fiesta sized budget offering – has been revealed ahead of a public debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. Yesterday we had news of Renault’s cut-price Dacia Logan – which may come to the UK – and today we get news of the Dacia Sandero 2 – beloved by James May – which will debut at Paris at the end of the month and is definitely heading for the UK. The Sandero has been a big-seller throughout Europe for years but now, with the launch of the Sandero 2, Dacia has decided the time is right to make their budget supermini available in the UK alongside the new Dacia Duster SUV.

Land Rover considering smaller Range Rover Evoque

Land Rover’s Design Director. Gerry McGovern says they are considering a new model to sit below the Range Rover Evoque. The latest car news from Land Rover has centered around the 2013 Range Rover, the flagship of the Land Rover range and a car without equal.

Has Chris Evans bought a McLaren F1?

The rumour on the grapevine this morning is that Radio 2 man and Ferrari nut, Chris Evans, has traded a Ferrari to buy a McLaren F1 Chris Evans is known for many things; Radio 2 presenter, doting dad, one-time enfant terrible of TV, creator of CarFest and, perhaps most of all, the most high-profile collector of classic Ferraris in the UK. But the word on the grapevine this morning is that Chris has chopped in a Ferrari – and we don’t know which of his Ferraris – to buy one of the 64 McLaren F1 supercars in existence. If he has, and we’re digging for confirmation, then he’s obviously been listening to the advice a number of experts at the top end of the classic car world who believe the ‘next’ Ferrari 250 GTO (a car Chris owns) will be the McLaren F1.

Honda Civic Ti (2012) first official pictures

Honda has glued a few glitzy bits to the latest Civic in recognition of its British Touring Car Championship participation, to create the new Civic Ti. The 5-door ‘race-inspired’ Civic is based on the 1.8 SE model, but comes with colour-coded wheel arches and some 17-inch ‘Le Mans’ alloy wheels. If that’s not enough to send you running down to the dealership, then Honda hopes the addition of a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gearstick might.

Revised Dacia Sandero (2012) first official pictures

It’s been five years in the making but Dacia has uncovered the latest version of the Sandero ahead of its official launch at the Paris motor show. There's been a styling overhaul inside and out, but it's the Dacia's low price that'll get consumers excited... The 2012 Dacia Sandero's exterior changes You may struggle to identify any major aesthetic changes from the old Sandero, but Dacia claim its new model incorporates ‘more assertive, status-enhancing design cues.’ One thing's for sure, Dacia has made an effort to bring the Sandero in line with its other models, such as the Duster, with a more angular front end and sculpted flanks.

McLaren P1 supercar (2012) first official pictures

Forget the abstract fluorescent light show teaser released earlier this month, because we’ve got official pictures of McLaren's latest supercar challenger. It's called the P1 and it certainly gives food for thought to those who were disappointed by the MP4-12C's styling. The F1 successor was formally codenamed the P12 ahead of its official release, but it seems McLaren is confident the P1 will put it in pole position among the super sports cars on the way from Ferrari and Porsche.